The student's resume was impressive. The formatting was impeccable, the content was excellent, and he did a great job of focusing on accomplishments instead of job duties. If I were an employer, I would have been impressed. Then I looked at his cover letter and imagined the employer tossing that perfect resume into the trash bin. Many college students and recent ...

The healthcare industry is one of the few career fields that, despite hard economic woes, is hiring at an alarming rate. Healthcare jobs are expected to grow faster than any other industry - roughly 24% by 2016. As baby boomers age, and Generation X has children, healthcare professionals will become more in-demand than ever. What are the hottest healthcare fields, and ...

There are several factors which need to be considered in choosing the size of a needle to use for an injection or “shot”. They include such issues as: • the type and viscosity of the medication • the size and age of the patient • the mobility status of the patient • the desired absorption rate for the medication In general ...

It happens every year. Nurses must write a self-evaluation when it's time to get their raise. No worries, right? Wrong! What you write can affect what your boss is willing to shell out of his or her pocket at the beginning of the fiscal year. Learn how to write a self-evaluation that will make your boss think you're the greatest nurse ...

They complain, criticize, shout, swear and may even try to hit you. Difficult patients are an unfortunate fact of life in healthcare. But knowing how to identify, understand and respond to them can make your work life safer and less stressful. *+Identify Difficult Patients+* It's sometimes possible to predict which patients will likely become difficult, abusive or violent. Alzheimer's patients, for ...

It’s said that ignorance of the law is no defense—but how do we know we’re breaking a law if we don’t know it exists? Luckily, we do know the serious laws, particularly those that have to do with practicing nursing. We know about HIPAA, that diverting narcotics is a Bad Thing, and that we can’t strangle a visitor who is getting ...

When it is necessary to inject medication, the route is determined by the chemical make up and viscosity of the medication. Many times the route will be intramuscular (into the muscle) known as an IM injection or "shot' as opposed to subcutaneous or intradermal injection. The injection site will be determined by the volume of medication to be injected. Other considerations ...

Do you consider yourself to be a leader? The definitions of the words leader and manager are often confused. Traditional managers have assigned roles and titles within an organization, as they carry out specific functions, duties and responsibilities. Managers exert control over decision making and obtaining results as they direct both the willing and unwilling. In contrast, leaders do not necessarily ...

To most people, doctors are usually considered to be respectable, knowledgeable, impartial, and — above all — healthy. Patients go to doctors hoping to have their questions answered, their ailments fixed, and — most importantly — for peace of mind. When doctors take the Hippocratic Oath, they are promising to serve to the best of their ability but, at the ...

With the downturn in the US economy, workplaces are becoming more and more diverse age-wise. Older workers are working alongside younger workers as people at every stage in their nursing career are getting laid off. With this generational gap among health care workers widening, there’s a lot of potential for miscommunication or differing perspectives. Though many people will absolutely deny ...

Despite the nursing shortage, Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital in Yakima, Washington, has no problem attracting a steady steam of job candidates. "We've never offered nurses a sign-on bonus," says Kathy Franz, the hospital's director of human resources. "Sign-on bonuses typically keep nurses in their jobs for two years. Our goal is to attract candidates who want to work here for other ...

Who doesn't think about getting that promotion? We all want to be our own boss someday, but before we can rule the hive, we have to tough it out as a lowly worker bee. These days, moving up is less like climbing a ladder and more like picking your way through a maze. There are many ways you can move your ...

Working with doctors is a major part of being a nurse. There really ought to be a whole course devoted just to the subject! It's usually expected that students will learn how to work with doctors as they progress through their clinical rotations even though they may rarely interact. Next: Rule #1 >> [photo:169836] Featured Author: Kathy Quan Kathy Quan, ...

When I first decided to enter the nursing profession, I really had no idea what I was getting into. I hadn’t grown up wanting to be a nurse, nor did I give it much thought beforehand. But I was bored and miserable working for the U.S. Postal Service and had to find something that was a lot more mentally stimulating. My ...

Work isn’t perfect, right? But if you're lucky enough to have a job right now it pays to remember that millions and millions of Americans don’t think you have a thing to complain about. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the nation’s unemployment rate is hovering around 10%. Even more troubling, The New York Times reports that unemployed ...

We all know that showing up late to an interview or wearing something totally inappropriate can ruin your chances for a nursing job offer, right? But are you keeping in mind the more subtle ways that you could unexpectedly sabotage your job interview? Don’t let it happen to you! Stay aware of these 10 common subconscious mistakes — ones that ...

Across the country is seemingly a contradiction of needs. Projections point toward a nursing shortage while in reality at this time; hundreds of nurses are graduating from nursing school and cannot find a job. I read story after story from new nurse graduates who cannot find employment and desperation is setting in. As a former nurse manager, I read these stories ...

Health care isn't a 9-to-5 job. It's an around-the-clock profession, and working evening or night hours is a way of life for many health professionals. Such shifts can take a physical and emotional toll on workers, experts say, but there are ways to prevent the damage. Here are suggestions for surviving - and even thriving - despite a draining schedule. Understand ...

These days, no one can afford to waste time at work. Thanks to widespread downsizing, workloads are piling up. Unfortunately, extra hours in the day are not. Maximizing your time at work can mean the difference between leaving your shift at a reasonable hour (i.e. holding onto your sanity) and staying late unnecessarily. You've got a life outside the hospital. ...


Getting an interview is a really big deal. It means that you have achieved a level of confidence with your resume and cover letter and have made it to the next steps of the hiring equation. This is something that you should be proud of; this is also something you should take very, very seriously. The interview presents a lot ...